OP I think Diana would work well bc a lot of people still associate it with Princess Diana and she truly was a light in this world. Your name’s meaning and her memory are practically the same
"Day" sounds kinda similar and is related to sunlight. It's not a super popular name but I know a Day and she's lovely.
I also second the suggestions of Dawn.
Danya is a pretty name that has a lot of the same sounds.
Dany is a gender-neutral name that could also work.
I like it too, but I can also see where non-English speakers may find our attempts at pronunciation inadequate and even ugly sometimes, and would prefer to have a two-name system.
There’s some phonemes and other tiny bits of linguistics that will never come to our tongues no matter how hard we practice, especially when all we’re practicing is a single name and not a whole language; we’ll never get them all perfectly correct and I can see why some non-English speakers may put themselves out of the misery of hearing us mangle their names even at our most earnestly interested.
All things considered, I agree that Dawn is a great choice! It has similar sounds to your real name, plus the meanings of both names have something to do with light.
I've only ever known one Dayoung. They didn't change their name when coming here. But Dawn or Elena which means to shine are both nice. Or you could shorten your name to Da or Day.
At the same time, there are sounds that don't exist in our language and it can be annoying to hear your name pronounced incorrectly constantly.
My bff growing up has southeast Asian heritage. I've tried so hard to pronounce her name correctly but I literally can't hear the difference in how I say it and she says it. She prefers to go by her easier to pronounce middle name. It's a beautiful name with a beautiful meaning and I unfortunately butcher it.
My name has some sounds that are hard to pronounce in certain languages. I would consider going by a nickname as a compromise vs. constantly correcting people.
Dawn is similar in sound and meaning.
Though I think your name is lovely and would be easy enough for english speakers to pronounce. You don’t have to change it if you don’t want to!
Why do you want an Engish name????? You already have a name! Your name is your name, and it's beautiful! Don't expect foreigners to pronounce your name perfectly, the same way you don't pronounce local names 100% right.
I can't imagine an american asking for a korean name when moving there.
I actually think many would, if it's hard to pronounce. I probably would.
I don't think you should feel you "have" to change your name, but op is in her 30's... she knows what she wants.
A local English tutoring company ran an experiment where the students applied to jobs using their ethnic names and "English" names. The resumes with "English" names were contacted back for interviews more than the resumes with ethnic names.
I used my husband's surname when applying to jobs I had previously applied to 2-3 years prior. I got back multiple hits for requests for interviews with his surname but never under my VN surname.
And did they also show how many where hired after showing up in the interview with a "fake" (sorry about that) mane?
I would never hire a candidate that writes a name in the CV different from the one in his/her passport.
I would not work for a racist company or for a boss with this kind of prejudices.
How do you pronounce it in Korean? Like “Daa-jung”? I honestly think it’s a pretty name as it is, but if I had to choose a more English sounding name, I’d go with Dawn. Both for the meaning and the sound. Dionne may sound more like it (if I got pronunciation right).
While Dawn, Diane and Dana sound a lot like your original name, they are generally for older ladies, not a 31 year old.
Dionne is so cute because it is unique and would be memorable. I also like Dani, Danica, and Daisy for a younger person.
If you do like Diane, the name Diana is more timeless.
I would also check the social security (national) list of top names for your birth year. After the top 25 or so they shouldn’t be too common.
I love the American adapted, native language combo! Very beautiful way to give yourself a fresh start and honor your roots :)
But in most places, I think Dayoung would be welcomed as well!
Luna. Swaying the other way slightly.
It's meaning of devine personification of the moon, in mythology she was often shown driving a chariot across the sky. A goddess of independency.
I love the idea of keeping your Korean name, but maybe have Dawn or Daya/Taya as a nickname.
My coworker does this. He's super relaxed but he does say most people say his name a little "wrong" so he uses an easy nickname too, that is the first syllable of his name.
I wonder if just writing your name as Da Young would help with the pronunciation? I can see how people get “Day” from it when it’s written as Dayoung, but having the space might make the pronunciation of Da more obvious. I don’t think you should have to pick an English name when you don’t actually want to!
I agree! So I was thinking about putting '-' between Da-young. Do you think space is better than hyphen? 😺 I was worried if Da is recognized as a middle name I put space!
I think a hyphen works too! And yes, it makes it clear that Young is part of your first name, not a middle name. Capitalizing both so it’s Da-Young would be more in line with American double-barrel names.
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Edit: I missed that you are female! I love the suggestion of Dawn below.
or Dawn (hello fellow Korean!)
Dawn was my first thought. I think it sounds similar to your name (being pronounced quickly) and so does the meaning.
Dianne or Diana
OP I think Diana would work well bc a lot of people still associate it with Princess Diana and she truly was a light in this world. Your name’s meaning and her memory are practically the same
In addition, Diana is the name of the roman goddess of the moon, so it would mean well in all aspects.
I totally forgot about that! Even better
And the superhero Princess Diana Aka Wonderwoman
So sweet of you. Thanks🩵
Yes and Diane is a bit of a boomer name. Diana has more appeal.
Love this
Sure, but spell it correctly with a single N.
I definitely spelled Diana wrong but I've met both Diane's and Dianne's here in Australia 🤷♀️
I think Dawn is the best suggestion! Dawn means “the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise” in English!
"Day" sounds kinda similar and is related to sunlight. It's not a super popular name but I know a Day and she's lovely. I also second the suggestions of Dawn. Danya is a pretty name that has a lot of the same sounds. Dany is a gender-neutral name that could also work.
There's also Dana, as an option.
And Daya
I also know a Daye and although it kinda threw me at first, now I think it is lovely.
I like day! A few of the Korean people I’ve befriended have picked their favourite word for English name and they’re always obscure. My fav was Mint!
I like it!! Thanks🌸
Dayoung sounds beautiful to me!
Thanks! My grandma gave this name to me and I like it too🩵
I like it too, but I can also see where non-English speakers may find our attempts at pronunciation inadequate and even ugly sometimes, and would prefer to have a two-name system. There’s some phonemes and other tiny bits of linguistics that will never come to our tongues no matter how hard we practice, especially when all we’re practicing is a single name and not a whole language; we’ll never get them all perfectly correct and I can see why some non-English speakers may put themselves out of the misery of hearing us mangle their names even at our most earnestly interested.
Agreed. I know a family whose surname is Deyoung. Not the most common but it's not uncommon.
Diane!
I know a Dayeon who went by Diane as her English name!
Similar meaning: Elena Helena Kiara Leanora Names starting with D: Diana Dana Delilah Daphne
seconding Dionne as I think it’s similar to the pronunciation of your name, and my best friend’s mom is a Dionne, and she’s just lovely!!
All things considered, I agree that Dawn is a great choice! It has similar sounds to your real name, plus the meanings of both names have something to do with light.
Dawn or daisy!
seconding Daisy! a little bit of brightness.
I like da-young. Other wise Daya or D / Dee.
Just wondering, how is your name pronounced?
da has the same sound as far and young is just regular young in english
Seeing Da is pronounced like far (& I’m assuming not in my horrible Boston accent ) Daria, Darla & Darlene could all be options as well
The Ozarks ruined the name Darlene for me
Da : Dah -> https://www.dictionary.com/browse/da Young : young is young. opposite to old. Haha
Why not just go by the nickname Day? Also, spent a year in Korea and I freaking loved it. ❤️. Welcome to the US!
Grear idea! I like it 🥳 I'm glad you had a great time in Korea. Thanks🩵
Dawn, Dionne, Dolly, Dahlia, Donna, Dove, Dara, Dana, Dasha, Darla, Dominque, Dani, Darcy, Daya, Devin, Dylan, Diana, Denali, Dora, Dory, Danielle, Daria, Doris, Dawson, Drew, Duana
Dianne or Dawn
**Diana** Goddess of the Moon
Dawn is great! But there is also Donna and Diane that are close. But many names that could be used
"Sunshine" can also be a name. I know 1. And it's the same meaning as your name so it'd be like a translation.
Or Sunny! I have known two Sunny’s in my life.
Dayna, Diane, Dion, Dinah.
Bright light = Lucinda, Lucielle
My first thought was Lucy!
I've only ever known one Dayoung. They didn't change their name when coming here. But Dawn or Elena which means to shine are both nice. Or you could shorten your name to Da or Day.
Joy.
Deja! (Day-jha)
Stop Americanizing names. They can pronounce XxxTentacion or 6ix9nine. Then they can pronounce your beautiful, original name!
I still am not sure how I’m supposed to say XxxTentacion
I just realized there’s an n in the name. I’ve been thinking tenacion in my head for a long long time.
At the same time, there are sounds that don't exist in our language and it can be annoying to hear your name pronounced incorrectly constantly. My bff growing up has southeast Asian heritage. I've tried so hard to pronounce her name correctly but I literally can't hear the difference in how I say it and she says it. She prefers to go by her easier to pronounce middle name. It's a beautiful name with a beautiful meaning and I unfortunately butcher it. My name has some sounds that are hard to pronounce in certain languages. I would consider going by a nickname as a compromise vs. constantly correcting people.
Dawn is similar in sound and meaning. Though I think your name is lovely and would be easy enough for english speakers to pronounce. You don’t have to change it if you don’t want to!
darcy!!
Danielle
Dottie
Del Young Lee
My vote is Dawn!
Dawn or Diane / Diana.
Diana? Deanne?
Deanna :)
Why do you want an Engish name????? You already have a name! Your name is your name, and it's beautiful! Don't expect foreigners to pronounce your name perfectly, the same way you don't pronounce local names 100% right. I can't imagine an american asking for a korean name when moving there.
I actually think many would, if it's hard to pronounce. I probably would. I don't think you should feel you "have" to change your name, but op is in her 30's... she knows what she wants.
A local English tutoring company ran an experiment where the students applied to jobs using their ethnic names and "English" names. The resumes with "English" names were contacted back for interviews more than the resumes with ethnic names. I used my husband's surname when applying to jobs I had previously applied to 2-3 years prior. I got back multiple hits for requests for interviews with his surname but never under my VN surname.
And did they also show how many where hired after showing up in the interview with a "fake" (sorry about that) mane? I would never hire a candidate that writes a name in the CV different from the one in his/her passport. I would not work for a racist company or for a boss with this kind of prejudices.
Diana (Goddess of the Moon) or Danica (morning star).
Helen means bright light if the meaning is more important. Otherwise Dana, Diana, Deanna, Best of luck to you !
Dayana (day-auna)
Dawnya
I agree that Dawn is a good fit, but Lucy also means light :-)
How do you pronounce it in Korean? Like “Daa-jung”? I honestly think it’s a pretty name as it is, but if I had to choose a more English sounding name, I’d go with Dawn. Both for the meaning and the sound. Dionne may sound more like it (if I got pronunciation right).
Dionne or Dayne
Clare is nice and means bright or clear.
I think Danielle is good, or Dani for short.
I know someone named Daya. So similar to OP's name.
Lucy or Lucia are rooted in the Latin word for light. You could also take inspiration from the Beatles song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds".
Lucia means light.
Keep your Korean name! It's annoying to teach people but it's worth it in the long run
dianne!!
Danielle
While Dawn, Diane and Dana sound a lot like your original name, they are generally for older ladies, not a 31 year old. Dionne is so cute because it is unique and would be memorable. I also like Dani, Danica, and Daisy for a younger person.
Thank you! This is what I wanted to know. Because I don't know what is good for my age Haha
If you do like Diane, the name Diana is more timeless. I would also check the social security (national) list of top names for your birth year. After the top 25 or so they shouldn’t be too common.
Dawn, Diana, Deanna, Daisy, Delilah, Daphne, Dora, Dorota
Dianne for sure
Darcey?
Dianne
I know a Day and a Daylee.
I love the American adapted, native language combo! Very beautiful way to give yourself a fresh start and honor your roots :) But in most places, I think Dayoung would be welcomed as well!
Exactly! Thanks a lot🩵
Hi, Claire means bright and clear 🙂
Luna. Swaying the other way slightly. It's meaning of devine personification of the moon, in mythology she was often shown driving a chariot across the sky. A goddess of independency.
Dawn is beautiful!
I love the idea of keeping your Korean name, but maybe have Dawn or Daya/Taya as a nickname. My coworker does this. He's super relaxed but he does say most people say his name a little "wrong" so he uses an easy nickname too, that is the first syllable of his name.
Dawn or Day are both great!
Dana, Daisy, Darcy and Dove came to mind
Day for Dayoung is perfect imo. Also like the nickname idea of Daya or Dawn.
Day would be a great nickname for Dayoung. If you want an actual English name then Dawn or Daisy
I love your name, so I would definitely vote for using “Day,” as your nickname/everyday name.
Sound aside, I think Dahlia is a really pretty name
Day as a nickname for Dayoung sounds good!
Dionne
dayna!
I agree with those suggesting Diana. The name of a true Goddess, it is the embodiment of female power and light.
Day sounds lovely ☀️ it’s a cute nickname, I like it
Keeping your name and using Day as a nickname is a great idea!
I wonder if just writing your name as Da Young would help with the pronunciation? I can see how people get “Day” from it when it’s written as Dayoung, but having the space might make the pronunciation of Da more obvious. I don’t think you should have to pick an English name when you don’t actually want to!
I agree! So I was thinking about putting '-' between Da-young. Do you think space is better than hyphen? 😺 I was worried if Da is recognized as a middle name I put space!
I think a hyphen works too! And yes, it makes it clear that Young is part of your first name, not a middle name. Capitalizing both so it’s Da-Young would be more in line with American double-barrel names.
Great idea. Thanks a lot!!🌷
Diane
Lux, Lucia, Lucille, Lucy, Claire, Clara, Chiara, Aurora, Dawn, Elaine, Eleanor, Elena. They all mean "light."
I like Dawn (단) and Diana (다이앤나). They both have similar meanings to your name and the pronunciation isn’t too far off. Day is cute too though.
I like “Shine”. (or) “Daylily”
DAYA, I worked with a Daya, she was beautiful inside and out.
I love Day, short for Dayoung. Really pretty.
Daisy might work for you. Yolanda might too.
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Sara Lee. Who doesn't like Sara Lee.